Southern Cross Care (SA, NT & VIC) open $18M aged care expansion
“This will keep more people out of the hospital system and residential aged care for longer.”
On Wednesday, the Not For Profit ageing services provider opened the $18 million expansion of its Pearl Supported Care aged care home in Fannie Bay, a few kilometres west of the Darwin CBD.
The expansion includes a 26-room new memory support unit (MSU) and an age-friendly Health & Fitness Centre.
Luke Gosling OAM, Federal Member for Solomon and David Moran, CEO of Southern Cross Care (SA, NT & VIC), performed the official opening.
“The new MSU at Pearl Supported Care is so important,” David said. “It increases our capacity to care for older Territorians by 30%, incorporating a dementia-friendly design that will help residents to feel at home and enjoy a good quality of life.”
Features of the MSU include views of the external gardens from every corridor through large windows, circuit corridors and outdoor paths, and every room features a ‘front porch’.
The new wing also also been built to high cyclone safety standards, keeping residents safe in the event of severe weather events such as the recent Cyclone Fina.
David said preventative health measures can keep older people out of hospital.
“Our Health & Fitness Team is already running services from the new centre, including four group sessions a day that support older Territorians to build strength, improve balance and improve their health,” he said.
“This will keep more people out of the hospital system and residential aged care for longer.”
The project was built with significant financial assistance from the Federal Government through an Aged Care Capital Assistance Grant, while the Northern Territory Government provided the site.
Bringing the project to fruition were:
- Builder: Aspire Design & Construct
- Architect & Interior Design: Swanbury Penglase & Chelsea Miller Interior Design
- Services Engineer: Lucid Consulting
- Civil & Structural Engineer: WGA
- Project Manager: Turner & Townsend
- Landscape Architect: Clouston Associates
- Cost Management: Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB)
The Federal Government has opened an Expression of Interest campaign to design, build and operate a 120-bed aged care home in Darwin, a facility first promised 18 months ago with a $60 million price tag.
Founded in 1968, SCC has 15 aged care homes, 40 retirement villages and five Health & Fitness Centres across South Australia, Victoria and the Northern Territory.
